KAMPALA – The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced that it is consulting relevant government stakeholders following the interruption of broadcasting services by several Nation Media Group (NMG) Uganda outlets, including NTV Uganda, Spark TV, Dembe FM and KFM.
In a public notice issued on Sunday, UCC Executive Director Hon. Nyombi Thembo said the regulator was seeking verified information on the circumstances surrounding the disruption.
“The Uganda Communications Commission has noted the circumstances that have led to the Nation Media Group’s outlets, including NTV Uganda, Spark TV, Dembe FM, and KFM, going off air,” Nyombi said.
He added that the Commission had initiated engagements with government agencies before making any further pronouncement.
“Consultations have begun with the relevant government stakeholders to obtain verified information. The Commission urges the public to remain calm and allow these consultations to proceed. We will provide further updates as appropriate once the consultations conclude.”
The statement came hours after Nation Media Group Uganda announced that its operations had been disrupted following what it described as an overnight military raid on its facilities.
In a public notice, the company said its premises in Namuwongo and at the Kampala Serena International Conference Centre had become inaccessible after security personnel entered the facilities during the early hours of Sunday.
“The raid, carried out at about 1:00 am on Sunday, June 28, resulted in electricity disconnection and disruption of normal operations across our platforms on radio, TV and newspapers,” the company said.
NMG said that despite the closure of its physical offices, it would continue serving audiences through its digital platforms.
“While our offices are closed, we will continue to keep you engaged and informed through our digital platforms.”
The developments followed a series of posts on X by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in which he claimed responsibility for the shutdown of NTV Uganda and Daily Monitor.
In one post, Gen. Muhoozi wrote: “NTV and Moniter are being shut down from today!”
He later suggested that discussions were underway regarding the possible reopening of the affected media houses.
“As comrade Andrew Mwenda said we are having discussions with our allies in the UK and Europe about re-opening both NTV and Daily Monitor. We shall take the results of these discussions to Mzee for final approval.”
Earlier, journalist and Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) leader Andrew Mwenda said he had held discussions with Gen. Muhoozi and that efforts were being made to restore operations.
“I have just held discussions with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and we, as leaders of PLU, have agreed that we shall reopen both Daily Monitor and NTV soon. However, we shall first have discussions with the management of both sister companies.”
Neither the Government of Uganda nor the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) had, by the time of publication, issued a formal statement explaining the legal basis for the reported military deployment or the interruption of broadcasts.
The temporary shutdown of one of Uganda’s largest independent media groups has drawn significant public attention and is expected to intensify debate over media freedom, regulatory oversight and the relationship between state institutions and independent journalism.
UCC said it would communicate further updates through its official channels once consultations with the relevant stakeholders are concluded.
